Potions and Percipience
by Sera Scrivenger
Summary: Hogwarts has been restored; and the students return for their eighth year at Hogwarts. However; when Harry and Draco have to brew a potion, chaos ensues, especially when their spat causes a hazardous explosion, resulting in a body swap. They can't tell the authorities or their friends; but things only get more complicated when Malfoy starts falling for a certain bookworm...
1. Trials and Tribulations

**Author's Note: Hey everybody! This was an idea I had a while ago and I just thought, why not? I had a lot of fun writing this piece; and I hope you guys enjoy reading it, too!**

**As always: DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in this story. All the credit goes to JK Rowling.**

**Also: Here's a song recommendation for this chapter/prologue. It's going to be the song I listen to when I write from Draco's perspective as I feel the lyrics hold such a deep meaning and portrays most of Draco's struggles during the war, and now on his quest to seek redemption. I also feel that the female vocals represent his mother's voice of reason as he tries to find himself.**

**Song: Innocence – Nathan Wagner**

**And now! On to the story! Enjoy everybody! :D**

"Potter! What in Merlin's name have you done!" Draco spat, gripping at his now ebony coloured hair. Across the room, sitting amongst empty vials and splatters of the potion they were brewing, sat a very pale, _very blond,_ Harry Potter, still struggling to regain focus due to the ringing in his ears.

"What's got your wand in a twist, Malfoy? It was just an accident. Calm down, would you?"

"Calm down? Calm down?! Look at us, Potter!"

It was only then that Harry made eye contact with the source of the commotion. He blinked once; then again, followed by several more as a frown started to etch its way onto his features. In front of him stood... himself? Harry reached up to readjust his glasses; only to find them missing. The ringing in his ears were but a dull whisper now as he recalled the brief moments before the explosion that had occurred but moments ago.

* * *

"This is your bloody fault, you know."

"How exactly is this my fault, Malfoy?"

The two boys were standing across from each other in the potions classroom; both on edge since Slughorn had decided to pair them up for the term's project. Both of them had initially refused; but after they received an academic detention in which they had no other choice but to make the potion, they reluctantly showed up that Saturday morning, while everyone else went off to Hogsmeade.

Needless to say; the tension in the room continued to rise. Harry could not afford a demerit now; not when he was so close to becoming an auror. And Draco... After his involvement in the war, he was lucky to have escaped a sentence to Azkaban. Instead, he had to complete 720 hours of community service, and his eighth year at Hogwarts. He also couldn't afford a demerit now; lest the Ministry reconsidered his sentencing.

"You and that know-it-all Granger just had to make things difficult this year, didn't you? I can understand her coming back, but why you and that Weasel?"

"You think we wanted to come back after you helped Voldemort attempt to destroy this place?" Harry replied gruffly, throwing a bunch of fermented spider eggs into the potion. Draco winced ever so slightly at the mention of the dark wizard's name that had tormented him these past two years. Unaware of this, Harry continued.

"Do you know how many people died during the war trying to stop him; _trying to help you?_" he turned around and grabbed the jar labelled _Blaze Powder_, before throwing generous amounts into the cauldron. He glanced at the textbook that was splayed open on the table.

"I never asked for your help, or anyone else's! I was-"

"What? Fine? Were you? Or do you need a reminder of what happened during sixth year?"

Draco moved over toward the cauldron, adding in a few twigs of Aconite and gripping the edge of the table firmly. Guilt was a terrible thing to bear; and at that moment, it was rearing its ugly head.

"You have no idea what it's like to be on the other side, Potter," he grounded out, his gaze intensifying on the bubbling liquid in the pot. "You think it was a dark time hunting horcruxes? Well, let me tell you, it gets darker."

Draco looked Harry dead in the eye, his face contorted in anger.

"You have no idea what happens in the dark, Potter! You've never been so low, you've had to look up to see rock-bottom! They took my life from me; said that when I got stronger, I would get it back," he snarled. _"But I never got it back."_

Harry was clutching the jar of bat spleen in his hand tightly; his brow furrowed and expression a mixture of pity and growing anger.

"I have had to work harder than anyone to get to where I was!"

"And where exactly was that?" Harry asked, emptying the jar; not looking in the book anymore. "It's always going to be about you, isn't it?"

"Me?" Draco exclaimed, adding a few more ingredients to the cauldron. "Says the one who's had his name in lights since birth! You barely even breathed without getting praise from Dumbledore; from anyone!"

"I never asked for that!" Harry said, slamming his fist onto the table. "You think I wanted my parents to die? Believe me, I would've traded all that just to have them here with me!" Harry was no longer paying much attention to the potion that started bubbling furiously.

Draco's eyes widened slightly.

"Their death brought a great deal of things my way; but the things they never tell you in the newspapers and books is that the loneliness and anger came with it. I was alone! If it weren't for Hermione and Ron..." he paused, clenching his fist.

Draco was about to say something, his gaze fixed on the bubbling potion, when Harry beat him to the punch and started approaching him.

"I know life has been hard for you, Malfoy. But that doesn't mean it's been easy for us."

"Potter-"

"You've always had something against me; Ron and Hermione, too. What have we ever done to you?" Harry asked, missing how Draco's gaze continued to flit from him to the cauldron.

"Look-"

"This year is a new start for all of us; to put the horrors of the past behind us. So why can't you-"

"WILL YOU SHUT IT? LOOK!"

Both heads turned towards the table, the cauldron rattling and liquid pouring off it's sides. Draco shoved Harry out of the way and grabbed the textbook on the desk; his eyes widening slightly as he read over the page. Harry then made his way to the cauldron; attempting to salvage their sorry excuse for a project.

"This is very bad. What in Merlin's name did you put in- Potter, stop!"

Before Harry could register what Draco had said; the cauldron stopped rattling and the bubbling stopped.

Then came the explosion.

The last thing Harry remembered before passing out, was the odd weightless feeling that had settled over his body.

* * *

Harry now looked at the strange scene in front of him as a knot started to form in his stomach. Looking at _himself_ restlessly paging though the potions textbook brought back the memory of his third year when he and Hermione had used the time turner. Only this time, they weren't in the past.

"This is insane! Potter, do you realise what you've done?!"

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat before he got to his feet and made his way over to the mirror by the storeroom. However, looking back at him wasn't his piercing green eyes, but rather the pale blue ones that he had come to associate with the enemy. He stood about a foot taller with a more slender build. This time, he couldn't blame the occurrence on his eyesight.

Harry stood, rooted to the ground as Draco went on muttering behind him. He mulled the situation over, trying to process what had just happened. What they had done should not have been possible. It was unheard of; at least to Harry it was. He then turned to face the now dark haired Draco in the room, scrunching his face as he tried to make out what was written in the book; his glasses somewhere on the ground.

"How the bloody hell- Merlin, are you blind?!" Malfoy spat, frustration seeping into his voice.

"You need to find my glasses."

At this, Draco stopped his antics and fixed Harry with a glare. "I would rather die."

A sigh escaped Harry's lips as he thought about possible solutions to their problem; coming up short once again. If only Hermione were here...

"We should inform Professor Slughorn."

"Have you lost you mind, Potter? Do you know what will happen if you tell him? I'll get shipped off the Azkaban for breaking the rules of my probation. After all, they won't blame you for this incident. Everyone points their finger at the Death Eater," Draco spat out.

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing." Harry paused for a brief moment. If word got out; he knew Draco would most probably be sent to Azkaban, even if this was an accident. It would also jeopardise his chances of having a career in the Ministry. Harry knew they required expert advice on this; and while he thought of it, only one name came up. "I could talk to Hermione?"

"You will do no such thing."

"Malfoy..." Harry ground out. "She is our only chance. If you insist on keeping this from the professors, then I insist that we go to her."

"And do what? Do you honestly think this will stay a private matter?"

Harry thought for a moment, considering the possibility of her informing McGonagall.

"I trust her, Malfoy. She won't tell anyone-"

"It's not Granger I'm referring to, Potter. It's the Weasel."

Memories came flooding back of their first few weeks at Hogwarts. Upon seeing Malfoy, Ron very nearly lost his control and pulled out his wand. Out of the three of them, Ron was struggling the most with the events of the war. Hermione had chalked it up to his experience with the locket and the loss of Fred; however, Ron desperately wanted someone to blame. And that someone just happened to be Draco. After what had happened to Hermione in Malfoy Manor and the Room of Requirement; he felt Draco's sentencing was watered down and he deserved to rot in Azkaban like his father. Ron had vowed that if Malfoy stepped out of line once this year or caused them the least bit of trouble, he would make sure he paid the full price this time around.

Harry shook his head at the memory. He knew Hermione would eventually tell Ron about the situation; considering their relationship status. Even if she didn't, he would find out that she was researching the case and discover that Harry was not so _Harry _anymore.

"Alright then. We won't tell her about us; but we'll need to tell her something. She's the only one who can help right now."

"Of course she is," he mouthed off, remaining silent for a while. "You realise you will have to act like me to avoid suspicion. You better not mess this up, Potter."

"I'm not the one who should be worried. You know next to nothing about me; and while Ron might not notice a slight change; Hermione most certainly will."

A scowl formed on Draco's face as he considered what Harry had just said. This was his idea after all; therefor he couldn't be angry at how the cards had fallen. But he was. If he went through with this; he would be forced to spend time with the boy who wanted him dead; and the girl who's death he was almost responsible for. Draco was tempted to back out of this plan, when the vision of his father in shackles appeared before him. _Azkaban. _Draco swallowed hard, feeling the walls close in around him and cringing as the throbbing of the dark mark that marred his pale skin intensified. He promised his mother he would be safe; that he would not waste this second chance. He owed her everything...

Draco shuffled over to the desk that they had used earlier and leaned against it, crossing his arms. A tired sigh escaped his lips as he shot Harry a weary look.

"What do I have to do?"

* * *

_**"Life gives you what you settle for."**  
\- James Serengia_


	2. Sight and Insight

**_"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." _**

_\- Helen Keller_

* * *

Silence enveloped the small classroom; the remnants of the potion splattered across the floor. It was all so surreal. Harry's plan was so simple; but at the same time, ludicrous. Impersonate the other until a cure can be found? It was more than ludicrous; it was impossible!

Draco ran a hand through his hair, frustration at the entire situation building up again. Not only was he stuck in his arch rival's body; he couldn't see a bloody thing! He blinked a few times, clenching his fist when it did nothing to improve his vision.

"You really are as blind as a bat, Potter," he ground out.

"I already told you; my- your glasses are right there," Harry corrected himself. He was having trouble adjusting to their predicament as well. For the first time in what felt like forever, his eyesight was perfectly clear. Add on the fact that he was a few inches taller due to Draco's stature, and you could say he was seeing the world in an entirely different way.

"I already told, I'm not wearing _your_ ridiculous contraption."

"Well then, have fun tripping over your own two feet," Harry replied indignantly. "Let's go over the plan again."

"Potter, we've been over this thing a hundred times. I know what I need to do! Just make sure you keep _my_ family name out of trouble, and I'll make sure your petty little friends don't notice anything suspicious about their Golden Boy."

Harry stared at the dark haired Draco for a moment, before nodding silently and reaching for the glasses laying on the floor.

"At least keep it with you. For my sake."

With a huff, Draco took the object from Harry and shoved it in his pocket. He then started walking towards the classroom door.

"Noon tomorrow; in the Library. Don't be late." And with that, a very angry _Potter_ left the classroom, leaving a a confused _Malfoy_ behind.

"Of course," Harry said to the empty room, before looking back at the empty cauldron.

"Hey, wait! Who's going to explain all this to Slughorn?!"

* * *

After about half an hour of bumping into things and nearly breaking his neck on the stairwell; Draco fumbled for the glasses in his trouser pockets and put them on, kicking the small gargoyle as he passed and getting a few questioning glances from the portraits.

He shuffled away at a brisk pace and came to a halt in one of the empty corridors. It was then that he caught sight of his reflection in the stained glass window. Messy black hair fell across his face and a pair of striking green eyes stared back at him. A frown started forming across his features. To say he was angry, was an extreme understatement.

Laughter travelled up the hall as a few more students returned from Hogsmeade. Another reason for Draco's frustration. While all the other students went on their merry trip to the wizarding village, he was tasked to brew that blasted potion with Potter. Merlin only knows why he had decided on booking the classroom that Saturday when he could have tagged along with Granger and Weaselby.

With a huff, he made his way back to the stairwell; wanting to avoid conversation with others at all cost. At least for tonight. Draco made quick work of reaching the Gryffindor common room; pausing in front of the Fat Lady. He kept his face impassive, but inside he felt the panic rise up. He had never asked Potter what the password was.

The Fat Lady gave him a reproachful look. "Password?"

Draco was about to turn around and walk away, when he heard someone rush up the stairs clumsily. Turning his head, he caught sight of Neville and his bag full of... whatever it was.

"Oh, hey Harry!" he started when he reached the landing.

"Lo-, uh, Neville," Draco offered in reply. He swallowed his pride and asked what he thought was a very _Harry_-like question. "What have you got there?"

Neville looked down at the bag in his hands.

"Oh this? These are ingredients for a new fertiliser that Professor Sprout told me about. I just bought some from an Apothecary in Hogsmeade. Hopefully it all works out in tomorrow's class!"

Draco nodded, hiding his disgust by forcing a thin lipped smile that looked more like he was trying to stop something from jumping out of his mouth. Neville readjusted the bags in his arms before he looked between Draco and the Fat Lady.

"Uh, aren't you going to..?" he nodded towards the portrait. Draco felt that small hint of panic again, before regaining his focus and stepping to the side.

"After you. I insist," he replied and gestured to the door politely.

"Ah alright, thanks, Harry!" Neville responded, a confused glint in his eye as he faced the portrait, still clutching the bags to his chest. "Quid Agis!"

The portrait door swung open and Neville walked inside. Draco took a mental note of the password before he stepped through to portrait hole with caution. When he stepped over the threshold into the common room, he felt the bile rise up. Everywhere he looked he saw traces of red and gold. It was as if Christmas was a constant theme in the common room. And he hated it. It was probably the reason why he couldn't stop the grimace that formed on his face as he took in his surroundings.

"Ginny, Hermione! I didn't think I'd see you here until later!"

Upon hearing Neville call out to the others in the room, Draco froze. He felt the sweat start to drip down his forehead and his breath hitched. His gaze landed on the source of Neville's exclamation; the vibrant red hair and the chestnut mess of curls slowly appearing within his line of sight. The two seemed to have been in deep conversation before Longbottom had interrupted like a barbarian.

"Oh, hello Neville," came Ginny's timid reply before her gaze landed on Harry, a small smile spreading over her features. Draco stood perplexed in his spot as the Weasley girl approached him, and while there was no hint of malice on her features, an unsettling feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. "Hey you," Ginny said, pecking Harry on the check.

The air left his lungs in that moment, his chest tightening exponentially as he felt the blood leave his already pale face. Rooted to the spot, he could feel all the eyes on him, which was probably the only reason he hadn't shoved Ginny away from him already. Draco clenched his fist, trying to fight the urge to wipe at his cheek that suddenly felt itchy. The look on his face must have been a sight to behold, since he felt a hand on his shoulder trying to steady him.

"Harry?" Ginny's voice echoed in the room, her bright brown eyes searching his face with a hint of concern. Draco could feel the sweat on his brow forming, his shoulder itching to shrug off the hand that rested on it. Because what reason was there for him not to? In all his years growing up at the Manor and even at Hogwarts, physical touch was never something that was done frequently. His mother had certainly always been the affectionate one of his parents, but in the years that followed the return of the Dark Lord, the embraces grew shorter, and the distance ever greater. By the time the war had started, Draco had learned to expect harshness in its stead. Thus, the discomfort of his current predicament settled easily on his features.

"Harry, are you alright?"

The voice of a very particular, very bossy Gryffindor he had come to know all too well suddenly filled the air, bringing him out of his trance. Now standing only a few feet away from him, Hermione's gaze studied his expression with scrutiny.

"You look like you're about to keel over!" Neville exclaimed, having put his bags next to the table and readying himself to catch Harry should he end up fainting. Draco finally exhaled and reached up to brush his fringe away, effectively knocking off Ginny's hand. Now was the time to put on the show of his life. He allowed a small, awkward smile to cross his features, cursing to himself as he looked at the redhead in front of him.

"I'm fine, spectacular even. Who wouldn't want to spend the day completing an assignment with that dimwit P- Malfoy," he replied sarcastically, recovering from his almost slip up. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and gave a small smirk. Neville was the first to speak.

"Oh that's right, you and Malfoy had to brew that potion!" A mix of realisation dawned on him, as he let out a nervous laugh, "That certainly explains it. I'd be mortified too if I had to spend a Hogsmeade weekend cooped up in a classroom with him,"

Draco bit the inside of his cheek hard at that comment, biting back the snarl that threatened to come out, and instead let out a dry laugh.

"You shouldn't let Malfoy get to you, Harry. You know he's only going to go out of his way to make this experience horrible for you, such as making you spend a Hogsmeade weekend brewing a potion," Ginny responded, her arms now folded in front of her. Draco's mask dropped for a split second, a mixture of incredulity and absolute outrage appearing in his eyes. He did no such thing! Potter had decided on this weekend before he even had a chance to object! Before he could respond however, Hermione interrupted them, a rather peculiar expression adorning her face if he had to say so himself.

"You know that wasn't the case, Ginny. Harry decided on their behalf. We all know that Malfoy is being kept under supervision during this time. Draco would have had to tag along with you if they decided to come along."

Draco quirked an eyebrow at this. _Under supervision?_ He clenched his jaw as the conversation continued between the two girls.

"I know. I just don't see why they had to pin this on, Harry. A bit of time away would of done him good," Ginny replied, casting a smile his way. Draco gritted his teeth as he forced a small smile of his own, but only managing a small quirk of his lips. Questions were running rampant through his mind. He knew there was a reason that barmy old professor had paired the two of them up! The next time he saw Potter, he was certainly going to let him have it. And he'd be able to get away with it too in his current state.

"Either way, there's nothing to be done about it now, right?" Neville stated, his upbeat voice changing the tone of their conversation. "There'll be plenty more opportunities for Harry to join us. It'll be fun!"

"I suppose so. I don't think I can listen to another conversation about Nargles from Luna," Ginny laughed slightly. "With all due respect, of course."

The gentle chatter continued for a moment, before Neville called Harry over to him.

"Could you help me carry this up to the dormitories? I don't think I can handle any more steps on my own!"

Draco was about to decline in a rather abrupt fashion when he heard the portrait door swing open again. The voices of more students filled the Common Room causing Draco to grit his teeth in irritation. He roughly grabbed the one bag full of ingredients, nearly gagging due to the smell that emitted from them.

"What in Merlin's beard is this?" he exclaimed, his disgust evident in his voice.

"I told you, it's for a new type of fertiliser. Professor Sprout says it'll help the plants grow twice as fast as they normally would which is perfect since some of the greenhouses were damaged last year. Did you know that-" Neville's excitable banter continued as he made his way up the staircase leading to the dorms, while Draco tried to touch as little of the bag as possible. As he made it up the first step, a voice called out to him, causing a groan to escape from Draco's mouth.

"What?" he replied as he turned around, only to be met with a pair of chocolate brown eyes. Hermione stood a few feet away from him, Ginny now engrossed in a conversation elsewhere. He must have been scowling because the muggle born witch in front of him looked a bit taken aback. But who could blame him? All he wanted to do at that moment was to go to the dorms, find his bed and sleep until this nightmare of a day was over.

A downcast expression settled on Hermione's face as she contemplated her next words. She took a few more steps towards Harry before finally meeting his gaze.

"Thank you... for today," A small smile appeared that didn't quite reach her eyes. With no idea as to what she was referring to, Draco quirked his eyebrow in question, not trusting himself to say anything just yet. "Ron and I really needed that talk today. I don't think he would have left here without you if it weren't for that assignment," she explained, her voice low.

Draco processed this information carefully, putting the pieces together in his mind. Was that why the Scarhead wanted to brew that potion today? So that Granger and the Weasel could work through the lover's quarrel? At this, he very nearly let out a scoff. He tensed his jaw for a moment and sniffed at the air, instantly regretted it when the putrid smell entered his nostrils.

"Don't mention it," he forced out, giving her final look. There was still that hint of sadness in her eyes and for some reason, Draco couldn't bring himself to hold her gaze. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach and he turned away abruptly, marching up the stairs.

He had barely made it into the room when he dropped the bag at the door and marched over to the four poster beds. Red and gold filled his vision and the urge to gag came back instantly. Neville continued talking happily about the plans for the Greenhouse renovation as Draco's green eyes searched the five beds for something to indicate which one belonged to Harry. Once he spotted his initials on a trunk by the foot of the bed, he took of Harry's glasses and proceeded to remove his sweater before sinking into the mattress. Slipping off his shoes, Draco pulled himself up onto the bed and let his head fall onto the lush pillow behind him. Lying there, he heard Neville mentioning a few more things, before gasping that he had forgotten the jar of kelp downstairs and rushing out.

The silence that settled over the dormitory was almost comforting to Draco. It felt as if time simply stood still for that brief moment. And after a day like the one he had just experienced, it was heartily welcomed. Green eyes stared up at the ceiling, a storm brewing behind them as the events of the day finally settled in. He was in Harry Potter's body, in an entirely different dormitory, laying on a bed that was not his own. His thoughts then travelled to the incident downstairs.

His body tensed at the memory of the kiss Ginny had given him earlier, a grimace forming on his face. The fact that Potter had gotten himself a girlfriend had completely slipped his mind when all of this happened. Reaching up, he scratched his cheek in an attempt to vanquish the memory. It was then that his encounter with Hermione popped into his head. He felt his stomach muscles clench again. Draco wasn't entirely sure why that moment brought about these feelings; or what exactly these feelings were. He didn't care for any of those buffoons in the slightest. Merlin, he fought against them in a war!

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips, having decided to chalk all of his emotions up to the strange events of the day. He revelled in the silence a few moments more until he heard voices coming up the stairwell. It was probably that Weasel and Longbottom if he had to guess. With a gentle flick of his wand, the curtains around the bed encased him in a cocoon of solitude. His eyes were starting to get heavy now that the light had been dimmed around him. His body ached in all the placed he had bumped earlier that day in his struggle to walk without Harry's glasses. Once, the voices reached the dormitory, Draco had already felt himself drifting off to sleep.

The incoherent whispers served as nothing but background noise as his eyes fluttered closed. The last thing to pass through his mind as sleep overtook him, was the pair of forlorn chocolate brown eyes staring back at him...

* * *

**_Author's Note: Alrighty! That was long overdue haha. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Constructive criticism is always welcome!_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places or names mentioned in this story. All the credit goes to JK Rowling._**


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